Lopeti Timani will make his first start in Cardiff colours as the Emirates Lions visit the Welsh capital in a Vodacom United Rugby Championship clash on Friday evening.

Following his summer arrival from French giants Toulon, the Tonga lock, who won 12 caps for the Wallabies in 2016, has made two appearances from the Cardiff bench in the opening weeks of the URC.

Timani has now been named in the starting lineup as Cardiff look to bounce back from a 52-24 loss to Glasgow Warriors.

Other notable inclusions are veteran British & Irish Lions and Welsh international Taulupe Faletau, who returns to the No 8 jersey after a Player of the Match display in the opening-round win over Munster, with fellow Wales-capped loose forwards captain Josh Turnbull and James Botham on the flanks.

Fullback Rhys Priestland, halfback pair Jarrod Evans and Tomos Williams, lock Seb Davies and prop Dillon Lewis complete the contingent of capped Welsh internationals in Cardiff’s starting XV.

Cardiff – 15 Rhys Priestland, 14 Aled Summerhill, 13 Rey Lee-Lo, 12 Max Llewellyn, 11 Theo Cabango, 10 Jarrod Evans, 9 Tomos Williams, 8 Taulupe Faletau, 7 James Botham, 6 Josh Turnbull (c), 5 Seb Davies, 4 Lopeti Timani, 3 Dillon Lewis, 2 Liam Belcher, 1 Brad Thyer.
Subs: 16 Kirby Myhill, 17 Corey Domachowski, 18 Dmitri Arhip, 19 Rory Thornton, 20 Shane Lewis-Hughes, 21 Lloyd Williams, 22 Mason Grady, 23 Uilisi Halaholo.